February 2010 Earthquake and Our Response

Help for Chile:
Lifting Up Hope Housing and Trauma Recovery Project

Message from Associate Conference Minister Peter Wells on behalf of the Conference Mission Partnership Committee: The Massachusetts Conference has been in partnership with the Pentecostal Church of Chile (IPC) for many years and is seeking to stand with them and all the people of Chile during this time of devastation and trauma. Together with the Brookfield Institute, with whom we work cooperatively, we are calling on the generous spirit of the conference to give to a recovery program sponsored by the IPC called Levanta la esperanza ("Lifting up Hope".)

Thanks to the generosity of givers in UCC churches throughout Massachusetts, Blessing Cabins are getting built to house families left homeless by the earthquake and tsumani in Chile earlier this year. But many more are still needed. For more information, the latest updates, photos and ways to donate, please see these links:

Donations to "Lifting Up Hope" (Levanta la esperanza) may be sent to MACUCC, 1 Badger Rd., Framingham, MA 01702, made payable to "MACUCC",or donated online through Global Ministries.

Blessing Cabins
Between the impact of the initial earthquake and the subsequent tsunami, coupled with the substantial aftershocks that have rocked the country, about 200 million people in Chile have been left homeless. The national office of the Pentecostal Church of Chile has begun to build houses, "casitas de bendicion" ("houses of blessing"), for these newly homeless. They have turned the open-air patio of the church into a factory to construct the walls and frames of prefabricated homes (photos below). These homes will be transported in trucks to sites where foundations will be poured and pilings built. Each home costs about $1,500 to construct and transport. The Church has a goal of completing 300 homes before winter. Donations to "Lifting Up Hope" (Levanta la esperanza) may be sent to MACUCC, 1 Badger Rd., Framingham, MA 01702, made payable to "MACUCC",or donated online through Global Ministries.

Trauma Training
Trauma healing is needed and has already begun. Elena Huegel, and eight other people who had been trained at a workshop called "Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience," led by the Brookfield Institute, have been sharing their knowledge. Elena has already trained groups of Sunday school teachers in basic trauma healing for children. Each teacher oversees about 20 classes, so many children will receive healing. Training will continue, through the Brookfield Institute. The Institute will be providing resources, funding and more advanced training, so that people who have suffered the deepest kinds of trauma from the earthquake can find the road to healing in mind and spirit. Donations to the trauma healing may be sent to The Brookfield Institute P.O Box 388 Brookfield, MA. 01506 marked "Trauma Healing-Chile earthquake" or donated online through Global Ministries.

Worship Resource for Lifting Up HopeClick here to download Repairer of the Breach. Select "Save" to copy the presentation to your hard drive, CD or flash drive. It may take several minutes to download. Once it has downloaded, click on the icon from the location where you've saved it to open PowerPoint and then click on "Slide Show." If you have trouble playing the presentation, please email Debbie Clark at debbiecl@aol.com

We invite you to use this PowerPoint presentation as a meditation (perhaps in place of a sermon) for a service celebrating the construction of Blessing Cabins. We suggest you use this with three readers: One reading Sister Jacqueline's letter; one reading David Huegel's letter; and one reading the scripture passages interspersed throughout the presentation. An alternative is to simply allow people to read the words themselves. There is an embedded soundtrack to the presentation which can be used either way. You may wish to use external speakers with your laptop for better sound.

This web site is a ministry of the churches of the Massachusetts Conference, supported by your contributions to the wider church.
Permission granted to local churches to copy materials for their own use. Please direct questions or comments about this site to Tiffany Vail